A dental model articulator is a device to assist to process a prosthetic denture. Dental models of a patient having damaged teeth are mounted on casts, and then the casts are mounted on the articulator. Afterwards, the articulator simulates occlusal movement and masticatory movement of the dental models so that the dental models are well operated instead of the damaged teeth when they are mounted on the real corresponding damaged teeth.
As an example of a dental model articulator, the dental model articulator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,787, as shown in FIG. 7.
In the dental model articulator 10, the mounting means 22, 24 are mounted on the slot 44 formed on the dental model cast 12, 14, respectively. The mounting means 22, 24 are ball-connected to a pair of elastic brackets 10, 20, and each elastic bracket 10, 20 is pivotedly connected to each other.
The mounting means 22, 24 are fixedly mounted to the casts 12, 14 by applying a predetermined adhesive between the mounting means 12, 14 and the slot 44.
Further, the mounting means 22, 24 are fixedly connected to the brackets 10, 20 by applying a predetermined adhesive between the slot 44 formed on the mounting means 22, 24 and the connecting ball formed on the brackets 10, 20.
However, in this prior dental model articulator, an adhesive should be used to fixedly mount and connect the mounting means on/to the cast and the bracket respectively, thereby once the dental model articulator is mounted or connected on/to the cast, it can not be dismounted or disconnected.
Whereby, the connected position or the connected relationship between the mounting means and the cast and between the mounting and the bracket can not be changed.
Further, it is difficult and troublesome to mount the dental model articulator onto the dental model cast using an adhesive. Therefore, the technician needs to put great effort and labor as well as time to achieve the work repeatedly.
Further, once the dental model articulator is mounted on or connected to the cast, it can not be dismounted or disconnected. Therefore, it can not be used again, which causes waste of its materials.
Further, the brackets can not move well to the front, rear, left and right side, therefore the sufficient simulation for the real occlusal and masticatory movement can not be achieved.